Voters Asked To Ban Term Limits

August 18, 2002|By Thomas Monnay Staff Writer

COOPER CITY — Voters could be asked on Nov. 5 to eliminate the term-limit law they approved in 1994, two years before it becomes effective.

Acting on recommendations from the charter review board, commissioners voted 3-2 on Tuesday night to place that issue and others on a referendum. A final vote on the proposed ordinance might come Aug. 28 or 29, which would give the city enough time to get the item on the November ballot.

"It's a question of, have you changed your mind?" said board member Ron Aranow, a former commissioner.

Voters also would be asked to allow commissioners to borrow money via revenue bonds without organizing a voter's referendum and allow the city manager to transfer funds, up to 2.5 percent of the budget, from one department to another without commission approval. Another ballot item, if approved, would make it so that when the city wants to buy something for $20,000 or more, they must allow a public bidding process. Currently, any purchase of $10,000 or more requires a public bidding process.Term limits restrict commissioners to three consecutive three-year terms in office.

The law, which would affect commissioners Scott Kleiman and Bob Webster in 2004, requires term-limited commissioners to wait three years before running again.Kleiman, Mayor Suellen Fardelmann and commissioner Debby Eisinger want to eliminate term limits, saying they could legislate good commissioners out of office, creating an inexperienced commission.

Eisinger, a former charter review board member, said voters approved term limits out of fear that challengers couldn't successfully unseat popular incumbents. She argued this fear is no longer justified because she recently defeated incumbent Barry Warsch for a commission seat.

"In a small city, it's not difficult to challenge an incumbent," Eisinger said. "It's easier for a challenger to gain name recognition and get to know the people of this community."

But Webster and Commissioner Bart Roper said there was no valid reason to again ask voters to recind a law they overwhelmingly approved.

"I just think it's an insult to go back to the public and ask them to vote on something that hasn't been tried yet," Webster said.

Art Waganheim, a Cooper City resident and president of the South Broward Republican Organization, said his group would do whatever it takes to defeat the proposal.

Thomas Monnay can be reached at tmonnay@sun-sentinel.com or 954-385-7924.